Spanish beauty Eugenia Silva was born in Madrid on January 13, 1976, and grew up in the nearby, but much smaller, town of Toledo. She was raised in a political family, and her uncle Antonio Hernndez-Mancha was an important jurist who ran for the Spanish presidency. These intellectual surroundings compelled her to enroll in the Universidad Complutense of Madrid, from which she later graduated with a degree in law.

Eugenia was discovered by teen magazine Ragazza when she was 18, and its then-editor pushed her to enroll in Elite Model Management’s Look of the Year contest. Eugenia went on to win first place in Spain and then moved forward to the world final in New York. After high school, she moved to Paris and started working as a full-time model. While working in Paris, Eugenia met Oscar de la Renta, who was so taken with her that he introduced her to many influential people in the fashion industry, including renowned photographer Mario Testino. Mario and Eugenia later worked together on the Oscar de la Renta Perfume campaign.

Eugenia has worked with many brilliant photographers besides Mario, including Steven Meisel, Arthur Elgost, Bruce Weber, David Bailey, Wayne Mayser, Steven Klein, and Gilles Bensimon. She has graced the covers of numerous international magazines, including Vogue (Italian, German, Spanish, Colombian), Elle (French, Brazilian, Spanish), Marie Claire (British, Spanish, French), and Glamour. She joined the ranks of the fashion elite when Spanish Elle named her “model of the year.” Eugenia has walked the runways in Paris, Milan, and London for such names as Giorgio Armani, Prada, Versace, Galliano, Carolina Herrera, Miu Miu, Chanel, Christian Dior, Guy Laroche, Issey Miyake, Salvatore Ferragamo, Givenchy, and Celine. Her campaigns have included Dolce & Gabbana, Clinique Happy, Victoria’s Secret, Pantene, Escada, Tiffany’s, Giorgio Armani, and Chopard.

Eugenia’s charitable acts include her support for World Vision, which works in nearly 100 countries in an effort to tackle the causes of poverty and injustice. She also collaborates with Doctors Without Borders and PLAN, which work in over 49 developing countries to achieve lasting improvements for children living in poverty.

Eugenia has a house in Formentera, an island off Ibiza on the countryside in Extremadura, where she breeds pigs and sheep, and rides horses. She is a fan of contemporary art and will often be spotted at local art fairs, as well as major art galleries. She also frequents the theater in her free time.